Laser therapy for horses can accelerate healing and improve the repair, regeneration and remodeling of tissue in them. Some uses for laser therapy are wound healing, pain management, tendon/ligament injuries, muscle tears, neurologic injuries and stimulation of acupuncture points. Some benefits of laser therapy are decreased pain, increased wound healing, decreased inflammation, increased tensile strength of tendon/ligament and a return to function.

Lasers are classified depending on the power or energy of the beam and the wavelength of the emitted radiation. It is based on the laser’s potential for causing immediate injury to the eye or skin and the potential for causing fires from exposure to the beam or reflections of the beam. The class of laser has nothing to do with the efficacy of the treatment. They range from Class 1 to 4.

Class 1: Considered incapable of producing damaging radiation levels. Example- laser printer.

Class 2: Emit radiation in the visible portion of the spectrum. Hazardous if you look directly at them for a long time. Example- laser pointer.

Class 3a: Usually won’t produce injury if viewed only momentarily with the unaided eye. Example- HeNe laser with 1-5 milliwatts (mW) radiant power.

Class 3b: Can cause severe eye injury if beam viewed directly or specular reflections (off a shiny surface) viewed. Not normally a fire hazard. Example- visible HeNe lasers 5-500 mW.

Class 4: A hazard to the eye from direct, specular and sometimes diffuse reflections. Can start fires and damage skin.

For more details on this, please browse www.rj-laser.com.